Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) president, Adesina Adedayo, has advised tax practitioners to continually exhibit the highest form of ethical standards and professionalism expected of Licensed Tax Practitioners.
Speaking during the presentation of Practice Licence Certificates to the tax professionals in Lagos, he said conduct practitioner will have great impact not just on their practice but on the profession and the Institute at large. “In order to guide your practice, Council expects you to refer always to the provisions of the Institute’s charter, Professional Rules and Practice Guidelines and the Statement of Taxation Standards as your compass,” he said.
Adedayo said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the CITN-Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria-Association of National Accountants of Nigeria which came into force on August 1, 2021, by which all accounting professionals have agreed to obtain CITN Stamp-and-seal as a condition precedent for the practice of taxation in Nigeria. This will to a large extent provide a good ground for promoting professionalism and enhancing your worth as Tax Practitioners.
“It is important to emphasize that with the placement of the seal of the Institute on all your clients’ returns and correspondences, the Institute’s reputation is being put to test because it authenticates the contents of what you are filing with the respective revenue agencies. The Institute expects you to strive at all times to enhance the respect, admiration and good name of the Institute,” he said.
He said the Institute will not fail to use the discipline approach where there are reported and established cases of misconduct by members. Our Investigating Panel and Disciplinary Tribunal are equipped and active to dispense such matters.
“Continuous personal and professional development is your key to the future”. This quote by a famous Canadian-American Motivational Public Speaker and Self Development Author, Brian Tracy is apt at this point. Taxation is a dynamic profession and national legislations and tax administrations evolve. Tax professionals must be seen to be current, knowledgeable and adaptive about such changes,” he added.
Adedayo said the Council makes conscious efforts towards setting higher standards to meet these changing demands of the profession. It is on this premise that we continually review the contents of our capacity enhancement programmes while also providing more opportunities to enhance members’ capacity in line with contemporary demands of the profession.
He said CITN has embraced the use of technology and other channels to reach out to members and for the conduct of training programmes. The CITN Tax Academy is also not left out, as it rolls out specialized certificate programmes online for interested members and non-members.
He assured CITN members that we will not falter in our quest towards ensuring the professionalization of Tax Practice and Administration in Nigeria. “CITN remains the statutorily recognized tax professional Institute in Nigeria; taxation is a separate and distinct profession; the certification of tax practitioners falls within the jurisdiction of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria,” he said.
 president, Adesina Adedayo, has advised tax practitioners to continually exhibit the highest){kind=link}